The present invention relates to a golf ball marker and especially to a golf ball marker having an arcuate edge for positioning around a golf ball.
In playing the game of golf, the golfer is allowed to lift the golf ball from the surface of a putting green for cleaning of the ball and to keep it from being a distraction or obstruction to other golfers. A lifted ball must, however, be marked to assure that when it is replaced it will be returned to the same spot from which it was lifted. Not only do the rules of golf permit such ball removal, it is the common practice and courtesy for a golfer to remove and mark a ball and replace it when it becomes his turn to putt. A ball marker must, however, be placed immediately behind the ball except if the mark is placed so that it would interfere with the play, stance, or stroke of another golfer, it should then be placed one or more putter lengths to one side. As a result of this common practice, many golfers carry a ball marker in their pocket and some simply employ a coin, such as a dime, for this purpose. A great variety of specialized ball markers have also been suggested and used. The most common ball marker being used is a disk about the size of a dime with a peg or prong extending axially from of the planar surfaces of the disk shaped body. In using a ball marker of the usual type, a golfer laterally moves the marker to a position approximate and at least partially under the ball to insure that he does not violate the provisions of the rules relating to placing the marker immediately behind the ball. When in this position, a golfer then presses down on the ball marker to cause the peg to penetrate the surface of the putting green and thereby positively locate the marker. This same basic marker locating technique is employed when a coin is used and even though the coin does not have an axial peg, most golfers will press the coin down into the grass to make sure it is lying flat and that it won't be moved by the grass or present an obstruction should another golfer's ball pass over the marker when it is being putted.
Prior art U.S. patents which show golf ball markers can be seen in the Cotchonis patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,018, which is for a golf ball position marker for a golf ball that is to be lifted from the surface of the putting green and has a thin planar body defining an opening of at least semi-circular configuration and size so that the marker can be dropped vertically over the golf ball onto the surface of the putting green. The Fialon patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,071, is a golf ball position marker in which a circular ring has a pointed prong extending from the center and bottom of the ring which can be pushed into the earth for marking the ball position. The Sakuma patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,805, shows a golf accessory in which a circular golf ball marker is disk-shaped and includes VELCRO fastening material for retaining the marker.
The present invention is for a ball marker which can be conveniently carried on a key chain by a golfer and which includes a marker that can be placed partially around the golf ball by sliding it up to the golf ball rather than over the golf ball and can be easily viewed by parallel markers to the golf ball contact edge and includes means for marking and remarking with a pointed edge formed directly opposite to the concave ball engaging edge. The ball marker of this type can advantageously be inexpensively made and can be used in connection with corporation or golf club logos and advertising material and can have marking and remarking guidelines formed on the surface.